Kontrola vaši (Phthiraptera) i njihov znacaj za zdravlje ljudi i životinja

Abstract

Lice can be a menace to humans, pets, and livestock, not only through their blood-feeding or chewing habits but also because of their ability to transmit pathogens. The human body louse has been indirectly responsible for in����luencing human history through its ability to transmit the causative agents of epidemic typhus and trench fever. Almost 5000 species of lice have been identi����ied, of which about 4000 parasitize birds and 800 mammals. Lice are present on all continents in all habitats occupied by host animals and birds. There are even in Antarctica, where penguins carry 15 species of lice (from the genera Austrogonoides and Nesiotinus). The Phthiraptera are divided into two main morphologically distinct groups: sucking lice and chewing lice. All sucking lice are obligate, hematophagous ectoparasites of placental mammals, whereas the more diverse chewing lice include species that are obligate associates of birds, marsupials, or placental mammals. Although certain chewing lice imbibe blood, most species ingest host feathers, fur, skin, or skin products. Because of the different feeding strategies of the two groups, the blood-feeding sucking lice are far more important than the chewing lice in transmitting pathogens to their hosts.